Language and Linguistics Dynamism

This one-credit module discusses the foundation to linguistics including history of language and how languages evolve through time and immerses learners in the world of linguistics. It begins by unraveling foundational linguistics concepts, unraveling the intricate tapestry of language history and evolution. Students then embark on a journey to classify languages, utilizing linguistic typology, historical lineage, and geographical dispersal as their guiding compass. Moreover, the module delves into the fascinating field of language change, inviting exploration of historical linguistics, and highlighting their pivotal role in comprehending the dynamic evolution of languages and their profound impact on cultural relationships. By the module's conclusion, students gain a profound insight into the intricate and ever-evolving world of human language. 

Language & Cognition

This module explores language from a cognitive perspective, examining how our minds process and convert linguistic information into both oral production and gestures. We will delve into the intricate mechanisms that enable us to understand and produce language, highlighting the role of neural pathways and cognitive functions in this process. Additionally, we will discuss how gestures complement and enhance verbal communication, providing a more comprehensive understanding of how language is conveyed and interpreted in everyday interactions. Through this exploration, students will gain insight into the interconnectedness of language, cognition, and physical expression.

Language in Society

The module aims to develop learner’s understanding the basic of language use in social contexts and variation of language across communities, gender and age.

Speech Sounds

This module enables students to identify the production and process of speech sounds as well as the relationship between sounds, meaning and grammatical forms in utterances. 

International Phonetic Alphabet

This module introduces the IPA (i.e., the written symbols used for transcribing the sounds of world languages) to students so that they are able to read and write the IPA transcription at the very least, for the English language. Students should also learn to differentiate between broad and narrow transcription, accent and regional dialects. 

Phonological Variations

This module introduces students to phonological variations such as the syllabic structure of English words, word stress, intonation, pitch, force of utterance, tempo and timbre. Students will also be introduced to intonational styles in different speech contexts such as informational, academic (scientific), publicistic (oratorial), declamatory (artistic), conversational (familiar).

Discovering Morphology and Syntax

This module provides students with a deep understanding of linguistic components, including lexicon, morphology, syntax, glossing linguistic data, and grammar rules. They will learn to distinguish content words from function words, classify morphemes, and categorise affixes, roots, stems, and clitics while also mastering the differences between various affixes. Furthermore, the course covers different types of phrases, their main elements, and their structure, along with exploring the relationships between subjects and predicates. Students will grasp the contrast between independent and subordinate clauses and gain a solid grasp of the fundamental definition of a sentence.

Morphological Typology and Word formation

This module aims to describe morphological typology and word formation processes. This module explores morphological typology systems, including synthetic, analytic, and mixed languages. Students will delve into the distinctions between slang and new words and word formation processes such as coining, compounding, eponyms, retronyms, blends, conversion, acronyms, clipping, backformation, and reduplication. 

Language Tree Diagram

This module aims to describe structures of phrases, clauses, sentences and syntactic structure in tree diagrams. This module provides a comprehensive understanding of language hierarchical structures, ambiguity, and silent syntax. Students will apply their knowledge of morphosyntactical rules in phrases and clauses, using syntactical processes like substitution, deletion, and movement. Students will learn to analyse sentences using tree diagrams, gaining valuable insights into the intricate patterns and relationships within language. 

Language in Context

Welcome to "Language in Context," an intellectually stimulating journey into the intricacies of language and communication. In this comprehensive course, we will delve deep into the fascinating realm of linguistic analysis and semantics. You will explore the fundamental relationship between meaning and logical structure, concept of presupposition and its vital role in shaping our everyday conversations, followed speech act and event, and finally the conversational implicature. 

Distinction of Meanings

This module explores the relationship of Meaning, Logic, and Truth, whilst delving into Presupposition, Conversational Implicature, and Speech Acts. Students will understand how meaning, logic, and truth are interconnected, recognize implicit assumptions in language through Presupposition, grasp subtle inferences in conversations through Conversational Implicature, and learn how language functions beyond factual statements with Speech Acts.

Dimensions of Meaning

This one-credit module introduces the fundamental aspects of Semantics, exploring the Levels of Meaning, Units of Meaning, Types of Meaning and The Complexity of Ambiguity. Throughout this journey, students will be exposed to the foundational aspects of semantics from a linguistic perspective, offering them a deeper understanding the layers of meaning in language.